1 Response to rg00kuerten_kafelnikov

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 29, 2024 at 9:55 am

   Points won by each set: | 36-24, 36-37, 28-28, 34-32, 28-16 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   26 % Kuerten – 39 of 145
   11 % Kafelnikov – 18 of 154

   # Their second French Open quarterfinal, and like three years before, Kuerten [5] takes the opener, Kafelnikov [4] the mid sets, and Kuerten the last two, but in contrary to 1997, Kafelnikov put himself in a position to close the match in four sets. The Brazilian led 6-3, 3:2* when two long games occurred (4 and 6 deuces), Kafelnikov won them both, and the complexion of the match changed. The Russian led *4:2 (40/15) in the 4th set when committed two backhand errors immediately after Kuerten’s returns, allowing the frustrated Brazilian to come back to the match. The Russian also had a game point at 4-all. There was 2-all in the decider when Kuerten grabbed the last four games rather easily. Kafelnikov had a super tough route to the quarterfinals: he survived 3 tight five-setters and 1 four-setter, but after the loss to Guga, he said he hadn’t been tired in the last thirty minutes of the match; according to him the inexplicable errors in the 7th game of the 4th set caused his defeat because Kuerten elevated his tennis afterwards. The following year they face each other for the third time in the French Open quarterfinal, this time Kuerten breaks the set pattern (1:0, 1:2, 3-2) of their matches on Philippe Chatrier winning a demanding 3rd set.

   Serve & volley: Kuerten 1/1, Kafelnikov 5/6

   # Comparison of their two 5-setters in the French Open quarterfinals:
   1997: Kuerten d. Kafelnikov 6-2, 5-7, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4… 2 hours 32 minutes… Total points: ~150-120… Breaks: 7-4
   2000: Kuerten d. Kafelnikov 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2… 3 hours 1 minute… Total points: 162-137… Breaks: 8-6

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